Solar Bears Too Hot For Ice

Solar Bears

Behind Hubie Mcdonough's Two Goals, Orlando Advanced To The Second Round With A 3-0 Win In A Decisive Game 5.

April 29, 1998|By Javier Solano of The Sentinel Staff

With older legs but a rejuvenated spirit, the Orlando Solar Bears answered the challenge against the pesky generation-next crew from Indianapolis and passed their first test of the 1998 IHL Turner Cup playoffs in the usual fashion, just barely.

David Littman, crestfallen after an overtime loss in Game 4, came back perfect on Tuesday. Captain Hubie McDonough scored two goals, one shorthanded. And the Solar Bears escaped the first round with a 3-0 victory over the Indianapolis Ice before 5,918 at Orlando Arena.

``It's Game 5, so everyone's got to dig down deep and play their best hockey,'' said Littman, posting 29 saves in his first shutout of the season. ``I think every single guy in here did.''

That includes defensemen Todd Richards and Pat Neaton. One set up rookie Shawn Wansborough's pivotal third-period goal, and the other filled in for injured winger Ben Hankinson on the third line. Rookie Anders Bjork, flanked by Neaton and veteran Dave Mackey, shut down the Ice's top-scoring tandem of Todd White and Petri Varis.

Orlando thus won the best-of-5 series, 3-2, and advanced into a rematch of last year's Eastern Conference semifinals against the Cleveland Lumberjacks.

The Solar Bears, who never have won a playoff series early nor lost one that went the distance, improved to 5-0 in deciding games and 11-2 overall when facing elimination. A new series, best-of-7 against the 'Jacks, begins Saturday and Sunday in Orlando with Games 1 and 2, both 7 p.m. starts.

``We've got a lot of experience in here,'' McDonough, 34, said. ``And it just came to the forefront tonight.''

Indianapolis was bigger and younger than its experienced opponent, but not better. The Ice's fifth consecutive first-round exit put closure on a tough day for NHL-parent Chicago. Hours after the Blackhawks fired coach Craig Hartsburg, their IHL farm club followed them into the off-season.

For the first time in the series, there were no power-play goals. The Solar Bears, thanks to some deft stickwork by their captain, opened the scoring while the Ice had the extra man. From his own blue line, McDonough picked David Ling's pass out of mid-air and raced in on a breakaway. He beat goaltender Marc Lamothe low glove side for his second shorthanded goal of the series and Orlando's fourth in nine games this season against the Ice.

Richards, playing his 102nd career playoff game, delivered the dagger in the third period. He sidestepped Ice defenseman Kent Paynter in the left-wing circle, faking him to the ice before sliding a pass across to Wansborough.

The former University of Maine captain, barely one month removed from college hockey, made no mistake, one-timing the puck into an open net for his third goal of the playoffs with 10:45 left to play.

That was enough cushion for Littman. He made a big stop on Varis as the horn ended the second period and added 13 more in the third. The Solar Bears, searching all season for their playoff goaltender, found him.

``Litty was overdue,'' Fraser said. ``He's a quality goaltender and a big-game goaltender. We knew tonight he was going to be the man. He had to be. And he delivered.''

The Ice were shut out for the first time in franchise playoff history, which has not been too good lately. Indianapolis has not won a playoff series since capturing the Turner Cup in 1991.

NOTES: Fraser scratched rookie Eric Nickulas along with Hankinson (abdominal muscle pull) and inserted Pat Mikesch into the playoff lineup for the first time, mostly on penalty kill. Mel Angelstad suited up for the first time since Game 1.